PSVR Is It Worth It 2018

It has finally happened. With no prior experience with VR and no real expectation for what I was getting into I purchased the PS4VR Skyrim Bundle. I was counting down the days for it to arrive only for it to be delayed a whole week due to “storm conditions”. So I went to best buy and returned the mailed one a week later. Because who on earth is going to wait another unexpected week for something they’ve been dreaming about for 2 days.

I’ve clocked a pretty reasonable amount of time on my headset and it’s time to lay down the verdict.

Is the PS4VR worth it in 2018? (Non-PS4 Pro)

1. Game Library

If there was one thing I probably should have done before I purchased the PS4VR it was look into the library of games. It’s easy to see a few big title games and get tunnel vision from what else is out there. The game library (considering good games) is pretty small. I would compare it to the Nintendo Switch. There are a few really big heavy hitters which provide plenty of content to get the value out of the headset but we’re nearing a time where there needs to be more. I have 3 games I cycle between with more than enough content for now but there’s nothing really on the horizon. But with that being said, what is out there right now is enough to justify the purchase.

2. Graphics

I’m realizing now I did zero research and this was entirely a knee-jerk purchase. Again, no research at all as to what to expect graphics wise. And it’s honestly a mixed bag. Of the VR headsets available the PS4VR falls towards the bottom of the list when it comes to graphics. When you’ve got a beast computer you just can’t get around the viability of the Oculus. But with that being said the PS4VR was built for accommodation. They’ve taken sophisticated technology and packaged it into something that is accessible for everyone.

The graphics vary from game to game and in some cases by a large margin. When I booted up Skyrim VR for the first time my initial reaction was Hol-E-Shit. This is unreal. This is the future. And then I started to notice the draw distance and it’s not great. You can’t make out faces from more than 6ft away in-game. The PS4VR is considered 1080p but that’s split between both your eyes. That equals out to 540P to each eye so it’s grainy. I would compare it to where we stand with 3D movies. There’s this film that’s holding you back from being in a truly immersive environment. But with all that said… you get used it! After a few minutes you are in that world and those drawbacks are forgotten.

Playing other games like SuperHot VR; graphics are not an issue. Even though it’s not a realistic game, I’ve never been as immersed as I am in there.

3. Is It a Gimmick

When I picked up Dirt Rally VR I prayed that the experience would not be gimmicky. When you pay for a device like a PS4VR it should be the way you play certain games. And in this case, it really came through for me. Moving forward VR is the format I will play racing games as long as it’s an option. I may have to take Dramamine in order to play for more than 30 minutes but the feeling of being in the car with the 360 sound is incredible. The graphics could be better in VR but if you’re like me, once you race in virtual reality you will not want to go back.

I refuse to play Dirt Rally on my television. Even if I can only handle a few races at a time I don’t want to miss out on the VR racing experience. I hope I find more games like this in the future to really drive home the validation in my VR purchase. But I can honestly tell you there are games out there that should only be experienced in VR like SuperHot or Dirt Rally. This is a huge factor when it comes to dropping that much cash.

The Verdict

Yes, it is worth it. I would go back and do it again. I’m not saying this to “feel better about spending that money”. The best quote I’ve seen related to investing in the PS4VR was “the gap between having VR and not having VR is massive”. The PS4VR may not be the best headset but it’s the best headset for the price and hardware. I would recommend finding a friend or forcibly make friends with someone to try it out before buying. But if you’re buying in the dark, find a game to really sink your move controllers into and you will have a blast.